The goal of this project is to produce an economical stage control system that reduces the labor-intensity of clinical microscopic testing (i.e., cytology, histology and cytogenetics). In this project we propose to develop a new means to optically detect position during microscopic examination. Optical positioning integrated with mechanical control will be used to produce a microscopic stage control system. This system will improve microscopic tests by decreasing the cost per test and the error of specimen handling. The system will be evaluated with cervical and bladder samples. Cost-effective microscopic stage control has multiple applications in clinical areas that use microscopic evaluation of tissue or cells.